Not All In Congress Favor Delay Of Air Guard Cuts

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander on Wednesday spoke out against efforts to delay Pentagon-proposed reductions to the Air National Guard in the next fiscal year.

The Tennessee Republican complained that a temporary one-year freeze included in a House-approved defense authorization bill would end up costing the government more money.

“What that delay would do would really waste money,” Alexander said during a question-and-answer exchange with the director of the Air National Guard.

The Pentagon’s 2013 budget proposal unveiled in February would cut the Air Guard by 134 aircraft and 5,100 personnel as part of a larger effort to find more than $487 billion in savings over the decade.

The House last week voiced its opposition to the proposal by approving a $642 billion defense authorization bill that would essentially block any changes in personnel and aircraft during fiscal year 2013.

The House bill, which passed 299-120, has the support of the entire Arkansas delegation who say it would keep the 188th Fighter Wing’s A-10 mission at Fort Smith for at least another year.

A similar freeze is included in a House defense appropriations bill that cleared the House Appropriations Committee last week.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is meeting behind closed doors this week to draft its version of the authorization bill.

Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense held a hearing Wednesday on National Guard and Reserve budgets.

Much of the hearing was a rehash of previous testimony, although Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, director of the Air National Guard, did note that the Air Force had been given alternatives to cutting A-10 aircraft.

“Our input,” he said, “was to suggest alternative ways to meet the emerging strategy with A-10s, which as you know have played a crucial role in close-air support in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The Air Force, however, did not accept those alternatives, he said.

Wyatt steered away from taking any position for or against the House vote last week to freeze the proposed Air Guard cuts.

Several members of the Senate panel did offer their own opinion. Alexander was the only member to be critical as he questioned Wyatt about the impact of the delay on planned mission shifts in his state.

“Delays do make the transition a little more difficult and costly,” Wyatt said.

The Tennessee Air Guard volunteered “early on” to accept a remotely piloted mission for the 118th Airlift Wing in Nashville, something that Wyatt said is seen as a “sunrise mission” that will provide long-term relevance for the Air National Guard.

Several members of the Senate defense subcommittee voiced concerns with the proposed cuts to the Air Guard.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said he is concerned the Air Force failed to consider the concerns of governors or adjutant generals over the proposed cuts.

Leahy said it was also bothersome to him that Wyatt had not received any analysis from the Air Force that would show a financial benefit for cutting from the Guard rather than active duty forces.

“I don’t think these cuts are going to save money but in the long run are going to cost us,” Leahy said.